10 Key Facts About Artists in Canada

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Hill Strategies Research as released a new report revealing "10 key facts about the working lives of artists in Canada." Since I failed grade 11 math, you can assume that the researchers prepared the summary pasted below. I recommend checking out executive summary, which is a fascinating read filled with numbers and % symbols and explanations of the 10 points below.

A Statistical Profile of Artists in Canada
Based on the 2006 Census


This report shows that there are 140,000 artists in Canada who spent more time at their art than at any other occupation in May 2006. The number of artists is slightly larger than the number of Canadians directly employed in the automotive industry (135,000).

The report reveals 10 key facts about the working lives of artists in Canada.

1. The average earnings of artists are very low.
2. A typical artist in Canada earns less than half the typical earnings of all Canadian workers.
3. Artists’ earnings decreased, even before the current recession.
4. There are more female than male artists, yet women artists earn much less than men.
5. Aboriginal and visible minority artists have particularly low earnings.
6. Economic returns to higher education are much lower for artists than for other workers.
7. Many artists are self-employed.
8. There are relatively few opportunities for full-time work in the arts.
9. There has been substantial growth in the number of artists since 1971, but the rate of growth is decreasing.
10. Artists, as a group, are becoming more diverse, older and better educated.

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